Can't stand dialysis
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I've only been at this job for 2 months and I am sooooo unhappy. I feel sick just thinking about going to work because of how much I hate it. I don't like the environment, the team and most of the... Read More

Merlee, I'm working chronic dialysis. Thanks everyone for the comments. The thing that worries me is that this is really affecting everythign else in my life. I can't enjoy my weekends b/c I know I just have to go back there on Monday. Like I said before, I go in there thinking today I'm going to find something about this job that I like,but I end up disliking it more. I literally almost threw up the other day b/c I was feeling so trapped and unhappy there.

On the other hand, hearing from other people that it takes a while to get the hang of dialysis kinda gives me hope, but I'm not sure. I'm basically a tech that gets to give meds. The enviroment just feels toxic- the techs are pretty much in charge, are disrespectul to the RN and the FA is constantly talking about other employees in front of other employees which I find very unprofessional and makes me feel uncomfortble talking to her b/c I know she will blab about it to other people. I can understand that staff is not always going to get along, but here I feel like the specialty and the staff are just not clicking for me.

I will look for another job and try to stay here for as long as I can, but like Chisca said I don't want it to get to the point of getting burnt out with nursing before I really even get started. Again, thanks everyone for the advice and comments. They really do help.

I had the exact opposite problem. I was in the hospital and HATED my job. I was burnt out within 6 months. I worked a Cardiac Step Down Unit too. The hospital I was at is a rather large one, manager is caddy and Charge Nurses talk about each other and "other rotation" constantly. I felt like "just a number" and Everyone tried to get everyone in trouble. I was happy to get into Dialysis. I feel like I clicked when I started working Chronics.
I was told by several people that I was making a mistake, and that I was going to pigeonhole myself as an RN. I have never been happier in a job. I feel satisfied and I love my patients. It may not be glamorous, but when I think of going back to the hospital I feel nauseous and start to have some serious anxiety. That is how I know I made the right decision. My clinic definitely has issues though. No job is perfect, and all companies have their problems.
I say try to find your niche, that is the beauty of nursing. If you don't like Dialysis now, you probably won't later. There is also nothing wrong trying to find your niche. I was a Paramedic for years prior to becoming an RN; everyone thought I would go to the ER or ICU...neither interested me. You will find whatever it is...trust me you will know!

If you are sure you hate it, get out now. There is a place for you in nursing that will feel like home. Your unit is spending time and money training you. You're putting in chunks of your life you don't get back again. If your gut is sure, then listen and move on. If the job is not a good fit for you, then say so to your current and future employers. In the long run, you'll find the right nursing job for you.

I transferred to a hemodialysis unit from the emergency room (which I loved) in order to have a more "regular" work schedule. I, too, did not like it and on more than one occasion talked to my old supervisor about going back to the ER. The dialysis work was very technical and even the patients knew I did not always know what I was doing. I felt like I had to keep cheat notes nearby at all times because nothing seemed to be fitting together so I could remember it. Learning the job did not come a little at a time. Just one day everything clicked and fit together and I felt like I knew what I was doing. I did stick it out and remained working in different aspects of dialysis for 23 years. One thing is for sure, "dialysis experience" on a resume can be a calling card to many job opportunities. With all that said, there is a BUT...I saw many nurses and techs come and go over the years and there are some people that do not like and never will like working in dialysis. It is just not for them. In most cases, I found that people that made it a year usually stayed in dialysis a long time. It is a hard specialty to start as a new nurse. Every nurse eventually finds the area they prefer and dialysis is not for everyone, but it sometimes takes one a little longer to decide dialysis might just be for them.
Good Luck!

I too HATED dialysis for the first 6 months. I had a VERY STEEP learning curve, coming from labor and delivery to dialysis. But I swore I would give myself ONE YEAR AND THEN give myself permission to move on if I did not feel better. And it did get better. As a side note, I felt the exact same way in L and D and it got better, too. It's a cultural thing, and a learning curve. And you would be doing yourself a HUGE disservice not to give it an honest 6 months to make it work, or at least try. HANG IN THERE. You may come to LOVE it like I do now.

When i was a new grad i shadowed and volunteered as an RN in a bunch of places that i HATED. I would drag myself at work everyday and try REALLY HARD to find something that interested me. It got to the point where i became really technical and became really engrossed in doing simple things like setting up procedures, cleaning machines, looking up meds and history etc. Kept me busy for a few months. I only wanted to be able to put the experience on my resume. That experience lead to the job that i have now =)... and contributed to the knowledge that I would NEVER go back to certain areas of nursing =P

My advice to any new grad is to STICK TO IT. You may hate it now but your experience is valueable. It will open doors trust me.

Thanks everyone for your comments and words of encouragement. I left dialysis a year ago and couldn't be happier. I worked at a pediatrics clinic and now work family planning. dialysis was definitely not for me, but the great thing about nursing is that there are a plenty of specialties and areas to work in and find what you like.

Such good advice on this thread for you. I was in the same boat, except I had nursing experience when I started doing dialysis, but I really, really hated it. I told myself I would stick it out for a year, then re-evaluate. Turned out I'm glad I stayed, it's been over 5 years now. I figured out and fixed- not the problems themselves, but how I was reacting to the problems, and my stress level went way down. See if you can find a co-worker that you can use as a sounding board / resource/ helper-type person to get you through the worse days, if you decide to stick it out. Good luck!